Rotten Apple
by Aiko Isari
Summary: [Cyber Sleuth] Post-Canon. Not all mysteries have been solved. Not all wounds healed. The Garden's doors need to be opened again, but for the right reasons this time.
1. The End of That Era

1\. The End of That Era

"And thus," Mirei says to herself with a sigh. "Fate reaches the end of its thread."

Well, to be precise, this fate was a rope and it had been tied. She chuckled to herself. It was still interesting, even this time around, to watch where destiny led, even though it was not her own. Even though her own was-

Yggdrasil would call it tragically cut short, as she had once upon a time. Mirei giggled again before she could stop herself. She would rather call it a change in direction nowadays. Perhaps she would get a new one and then, well-

She thought of her old friends and smiled at nothing, almost missing Rina's exuberant company. Well, she didn't even remember her age anymore. So things would be in doubt, such as if they were very old or she was just unlucky.

"How many times have we met by now?" she mused to the room at large, typing once more too rapidly for human hands.

"You still talk to yourself, I see." A small purple creature popped out of the portal. Mirei raised an eyebrow at the sight of them.

"Kyoko-san," she said, remaining outwardly unflappable. "Had to let go at last, mm?" And here she had thought the Digimon wouldn't find their way here.

"I'd say don't call me by that name," mumbled the beast. "Then again, I've grown accustomed to it, so I do not mind it." The Dorumon yawned. "It's a shame that it has to end this way."

"Does it?" Mirei smiled at the digimon. "You know as well as I do that fate doesn't always follow the standards we are familiar with." For instance, though the knot had been tied, the thread still continued. She was not being whisked away to a new world yet. That was a sign if she had ever seen one.

"Be careful with yourself, Mirei," chided the Digimon, picking up one of her cats by the scruff of their neck. The black cat mewed and squirmed with discomfort until they were in the air. Then they started to yowl. "You don't want to get caught up in much more, do you?"

"Shouldn't I?" Mirei shrugged, watching the facilities twist to the world around them. To the many worlds. Eventually, it would settle here. It always did. "I will always be caught up in something. That is just the nature of living, even in a half-life state such as this." She smiled. "I simply would rather take it on myself, rather than passively wait."

"You would, wouldn't you?"

Kyoko yawned and Mirei waved a lazy hand, forming a small pile of cushions. They snorted and settled in the pile without comment.

As the Digimon's breathing slowed, Mirei went back to her work. The strings of fate wound past her fingers, into her chest and out again. She reached and gently extracted them, following each crimson-dipped strand. Five were knotted together, one thrumming, taut.

Mirei smiled to herself. _And here you are._

* * *

 _ **A/N:**_ Oh look, the one Cyber Sleuth fic I'm writing that I'm actually positive has roots in canon. Because it's after canon. Haha. So let me know what you think. I'll be aiming to update this as often as possible but this job is ridiculous. Anyway, enjoy!

 **Challenges:** Digimon Game/Manga Non Flash 473 - prompt: thank, Three Sided Box Challenge, Diversity Writing Challenge I41. Write in the mystery genre, Ultimate Sleuth 1.8 - write the first part of a story or series, Tale in Fragments, 30 prompts, easy list 6, prompt - relieved.


	2. That Door Is Somewhat Ajar

2\. That Door Is Somewhat Ajar

Life without the Eaters was normal.

It was almost sickeningly normal, if Aiba Ami wanted to be honest.

Granted, she didn't miss being chased by tentacle squids or falling apart at the seams all of the time, but the adrenaline simply wasn't dying down yet and a part of her probably missed it in her own way.

Which was a sign she needs a hobby that isn't detective work, come to think of it. Wow.

Ami lay on her bed, watching the lights of the sun filter in through her blinds. It wasn't all that exciting, but it was something she could do. She was up too early for work, and no one was home. Well, she was the only one who usually came home. So why bother cooking?

Then, she paused. There were other people who would probably love to help her with breakfast, both cooking and eating it (eating it more in the case of Yuuko), and it would be a lot more interesting of a time than just making some cup noodles and going out. So she plugged in her Digivice and set up a group message.

Unfortunately, when she did that, she didn't look at the clock.

Arata's Bluebox icon popped on screen and chattered, "It's seven in the morning. I'm going to sleep."

"Arata," she scolded. He didn't answer. Then again neither did anyone else. "Lunch then?"

No answer. She was going to assume yes anyway.

Ami, with little else to do until then, rolled over and went back to bed herself.

Her Digivice, however, did not turn off. It beeped in soft, steady chimes. The center of her goggles glowed purple and blue and the colors weaved about as if under scrutiny. Then a single message popped up. The mail icon floated there, then popped away, stored safely for later.

…

In another way, perhaps it was like fate that had brought her to this point in her life.

She normally hadn't believed in it, but now… now there were simply too many coincidences piling up. There were too many things that she recognized, too many old things made new. But as it was she simply wasn't close enough to put it all to rights. That had been her… no not her, _their_ doing. And she had to fix it, or this would be all for naught.

She sat at her computer, sipped her tea, watched her school day end without much concern. It was all trivial and would happen the same way in the end. The young woman knew it would.

She watched as a pair of black-haired twins walked gingerly to the train station, one supporting the other with a seamless ease. They soon passed out of sight, but she still watched where they had been.

The envy roiled, almost enough to puke it over the bench She restrained herself. It wouldn't be long now. She would have it back, all of it.

She was so engrossed that she almost missed her train.


End file.
